Black Ribbons
by unseenhope18
Summary: Chapter 4 (possibly the last chapter) is now up! To an outsider looking in, Christine and Raoul are happily married. When she is visited by her dark angel, that facade of happiness may come crashing down around her. EC
1. Black Ribbons

-Christine-

The funny thing with marriage is that the only visible sign of it is the golden ring which graces a finger on your left hand. That, and the widening stomach so many new wives see themselves graced with when they are with child. I unfortunately did not have the latter. As hard as Raoul and I try, my womb still remains barren. While the inability to have children may drive a wedge in many marriages, it brought Raoul and I closer. Ever since that fateful day in the undergrounds of the Paris Opera house three years ago, Raoul has always been by my side. He is the most caring and compassionate husband a woman could ever hope for. When he had promised on the roof of the Opera House to guard and guide me, he meant it. He is by my side whenever possible, whispering sweet nothings into my ear. Even after three years of marriage, we are still giddy as childhood sweethearts around each other. Of course, we started out as childhood sweethearts, so I suppose it is only fitting that we retain that level of joy and contentment. He provided me a beautiful home in London with a lovely rose garden in the back of the house. Our home overlooks a busy cobblestone street. Often I sit outside and just watch the passerbys, wondering where they were going and if they lived a happy life. Our marriage is everything a marriage could ever hope to be. There is, however, a dark cloud. Oh we can shove it in a closet, lock the door, and pretend we don't know it exists. In fact, we are able to conceal it so well that to an outsider looking in on our marriage, everything seems perfect. That ominous presence which casts its shadow is, of course, the past. Ever since I left Erik, I have felt the deepest of regret. I left him standing there alone while his Christine left with another man. I had turned my back on his pleading eyes. Those gorgeous eyes which begged me not to leave like everyone else had in his life. I was no better than the rest of the human race. I left him. But do I only feel regret? I know regret isn't the only feeling that consumes me. I am filled with longing. While Raoul is the perfect "Prince Charming", I know a part of my heart will always belong to my dark angel. My angel of music. Whenever I pass by a mirror, I often catch myself gazing past my reflection in hopes I will see him. Of course, he is never there. Whenever I sing, I sing for him. I am happy in my marriage. I mean, with a man like Raoul, who wouldn't be? But whenever I have a quiet moment to sit down and reflect upon my "picture perfect" marriage, I realize that happiness doesn't equal absolute bliss. While I am happy with Raoul, I will never be as content as I could be had I chosen differently three years ago. My angel not only has my voice, he has my heart.

Raoul told me earlier in the day that we were to go out later in the evening to another one of his social parties where I could be shown off to his upper class friends. Of course he never said that's why we went. I know we go to further his social standing. Regardless, I always feel like a porcelain doll whose sole purpose is to be admired. Like a porcelain doll, I wear a smile painted on my face the entire evening. I sighed. I don't entirely mind these social obligations. Rather, I find myself enjoying them after I have a glass of wine. The only consistent problem is the repetition. Raoul and I attend these parties at least twice a week. I enjoy getting dressed up and making small talk with the socialites, however, you can only discuss the latest Parisian fashion for so long. I walk to my closet to find a gown which I can wear. Of course, it couldn't be light blue, for I wore the color to the last party two days ago. Midnight blue perhaps. No violet! Violet was even better. But then my eyes fall on a gown which I didn't even know I had in my possession. Made out of silk in the most stunning shade of deep red, the dress has a slight train and a top that is meant to sit gracefully on the very end of my shoulders. The dress is simply stunning. I slowly remove the dress from my closet. As I do, a black satin ribbon falls to the floor. I warily stare at it for a moment, almost as though it is a cobra ready to strike. Such a simple thing really, a ribbon, yet it still renders me speechless for a few moments. The last time I saw a ribbon this shade of black was after my first performance. The ribbon had been tied to a rose; a rose from him. Holding the dress to myself, I bend down to pick it up. While still bent over on the floor, I hear a voice behind me. A voice which I have not heard for 3 years, yet could remember like I heard it yesterday. That sweet angelic voice which had memorized me throughout my years in the Opera House and was suddenly silenced three years ago.

"Christine."

I didn't need to look up to know who it belonged to. Slowly rising and pushing some unruly curls out of my face, I looked in the mirror which sat poised on the inside of my closet door. Behind me, a black figure stood in the middle of the room. What caught my eye, however, was the piercing white of a mask which stared back at me. My voice caught in my throat. I could scarcely breathe, let alone utter a sound. Miraculously, I was able to croak out a single word.

"Erik."

-To be continued-


	2. Silence of the Angels

-Christine-

Time stood still. I swear to you at that moment, not even God's angels dared to breathe. My mind was a filled with thousands of things I wanted to say. Thousands of things I wanted to ask. But like the child I was, like the child I have always been, I could only stand there, stare, and wait for him to make the first move, whatever that move might be. Neither of us moved, and neither of us breathed. Finally he took a step toward me.

"Christine".

Oh Lord, how wonderful my name sounded as it rolled off his lips! I closed my eyes, and he continued to walk toward me. In 5 mere strides he crossed the room and was standing before me. I could reach out and touch him if only I was able to summon the strength to command my arm to move. My teacher. My angel. My love. He looked magnificent as always. Impeccably dressed in midnight black, he carried with him the air of pride and strength I had relied on for all those years. Now that he stood before me, I wondered how I had been able to live without that bubbling pool of strength for the past three years. I looked into his eyes. Those golden eyes which both threaten and adore. As I stared into them now, desperately trying to find some semblance of what he was thinking, I was met with sad longing and broken dreams. I recognized that look, for I'm sure his eyes were reflections of my own. Regardless of all that I wanted to say, all that I should say, I managed to say the most elementary thing that popped into my mind.

"Erik…What are you doing here?"

Erik smiled a wry smile. "You've always had a way of expressing your emotions haven't you?"

My face flushed crimson and I looked down at my feet. "Well isn't that the standard question an average person would ask?"

"Christine, you're not just an average person. If you were, I can promise you I wouldn't have come after you and I sure as hell wouldn't be standing before you now."

I looked up only to realize that he had taken a step closer. He was now a few mere inches away from me. The socialite and respectable woman I had worked so hard to become for Raoul's sake screamed at me to tell Erik I was a married woman and he shouldn't be here. However, that woman was almost immediately stifled by my overwhelming desire to be wrapped in his arms forever. I should be ashamed of my feelings…those feelings which no decent married women should ever feel towards another man. But Raoul knew I had never been entirely his. At least, I hope he did.

"Erik…" Who knew saying a name could convey all the unspoken emotions which raged within me now?

"Christine, I realize that you are a married woman now, and I know that you have always been a lady. I can't lie and say that I expect you to throw everything down at this moment and come with me. I respect your choice three years ago, regardless of how I wish your choice had been different. I don't come here today under false pretenses and hopes that you have changed your mind…"

"Erik please…"

"No let me finish. I do not dare to believe that if you could do it again, you would have chosen differently. I merely wish to let you know that my feelings for you have not changed. As much as I have tried to fill myself with absolute hatred and loathing for the woman who stands before me, I have only succeeded in making them…well…quite the opposite."

"And what are they exactly?"

I seemed to have thrown him off guard. I had struck a chord which he did not want to touch upon. It suddenly became evident to him how closely we were dancing around a subject which we weren't even willing to admit to ourselves. Erik looked at me with cold eyes. "Do not make me say it. Regardless of my feelings, I will not allow myself to say it. You know what I mean. There is no reason for me to spell it out again."

The room was filled with a few moments of silence, broken only by ragged breathing. Whether it was his or mine, I could not be certain. Finally he spoke.

"You are attending a ball with Raoul tonight. It's a masquerade. Wear this dress," he pointed to the red one, "and I will come find you. Perhaps you will not find it objectionable to dance with your former teacher when the mask and heinous face which lie beneath it appear to be part of a costume."

"Erik stop it. You know that your face and mask have stopped causing me fear years ago."

Erik held up a hand to silence me. His eyes were glinting dangerously. "Do not lie to me Christine. I would think that after all that has happened, lying would no longer be a viable option. I will be there tonight. If the Fates look upon this face with mercy, tonight's masque may end differently then the last."

With that he turned around and left. No, he turned around and vanished. Staring at the space which had once been filled by his body, I felt my eyes water with tears. It had begun again. The madness would never end. And yet, madness had never felt so welcoming. I crossed myself, and began to pray for the strength to endure what is yet to come.

**A/N: Well, what do you think? I'm really not too sure how I feel about this chapter. It's so hard to grasp Erik's character. I know this chapter makes Erik seem rather…well…like a lovesick puppy, but believe me. He's not. The next chapter will be from his point of view, and we'll get to see a slightly darker side of him. Please Review HONESTLY! Nothing is more important than honesty people! (Even if honestly equals flames)**


	3. Will the ghosts go away?

**A/N It occurred to me while I was rereading the previous chapters, that I had brought Erik in sooner than I had wanted. I'm sorry if the story seems a little bit rushed, but the truth of the matter is that I'm not expecting it to be more than 13 chapters maximum. If you like it so far…Great! If not, I completely understand. As always, reviews are welcome, and I accept any advice you might have for me so that I can write an even better story.**

**P.S. The formatting got messed up when I uploaded this. I'm sorry!**

**As always, I own nothing.**

**DANGEROUS GAME**

"A darker dream that has no ending  
That's so unreal you believe that it's true  
A dance of death out of a mystery tale  
The frightened princess doesn't know what to do  
Will the ghosts go away?  
Will she will them to stay?  
Either way, there's no way to win"

From: Jekyll and Hyde

Christine-

The following hours after he left flew by in a blur. I do not recall what happened in that time. Suddenly, almost as if by magic, the clock chimed half past five, and I knew I should start getting ready for tonight's gala. I took a bath, and slipped into the red silk gown I had only discovered to be in my possession a few mere hours ago. When I adjusted the hooks on the back, I was astonished to find just how…revealing…the gown actually was. As the top set precariously perched on the end of my shoulders, my collar bone was left exposed, and the top of my bosom was precariously peeking out of the top of the gown. It reminded me of the costume I wore on that fateful night. The night we sang our final duet. The night I betrayed him and exposed him to humanity's cruel face. How fitting it was that at our next encounter, I should be likewise exposed. I pulled my hair back into an elegant upsweep and allowed a few unruly curls to frame my face. I didn't need a mirror to know how the dress became me.

Raoul called up to me from the bottom of the stairs. No doubt he was anxious to be leaving. As I exited the room and began my decent down the stairs, I could see him visibly stiffen and his eyes slightly widen. I stifled a smile. He had never been exceptionally good at hiding his emotions. When I reached the bottom step, he gave me his arm and kissed me lightly upon the cheek.

"You look absolutely stunning. A true Aphrodite."

Thankfully he didn't notice that this gown was not one he had purchased. He frequently gave me gifts, so it didn't come as a surprise to me that he couldn't remember which gifts were from him, and which were not.

The carriage ride was long and uneventful. That is, the ride itself was long and uneventful. Inside, I was in absolute turmoil. Butterflies started fluttering in my stomach. No. I take that back. It was as if all the horses in England had been emptied into my stomach and were now gallivanting around with terrible force. Why had he come? We parted ways years ago, and he never followed me. He let me go! Why now? Why! Inside my mind, I heard a small voice begin nagging at me.

"Why are you acting so upset? Why are you pretending to be worried? Isn't this what you've always wanted? Isn't this what you've secretly dreamed of for the last three years? Dear God Christine, just this morning you were thinking about him! And then he came to you! He came to rescue you from this foolish life you live. He came to rescue you from all the parties and social obligations thrust upon you through your marriage! He offers you the promise of never ending music, of love that is more than just steadfast and steady. He offers you passion. True, unbridled PASSION! This is your chance to change the past! To make the right decision!"

I tried to silence the voice in my head, but all I succeeding in doing was multiplying the voice by a hundred. Soon, all of my past demons were calling to me…reprimanding me for acting so foolish and not being thankful for this opportunity to change the past. To right all past wrongs.

"Stop!" I silently screamed. "The past wasn't wrong! I did the right thing by leaving Erik! I am in love with Raoul! I love him! God in heaven, have mercy on me! I love Raoul! I love him! I married him! I chose him! He is the one for me! I…LOVE….HIM!"

The sudden jarring of the carriage coming to a stop ended my internal battle. It was a good thing too, for had I been able to engage in internal warfare with my past demons any longer, I was pretty sure they would have won.

We stepped out of the carriage and into the basking moonlight. I looked up at the mansion we now stood in front of and through the windows, saw the shadows of many people dancing. Vaguely, I heard Raoul talking to the carriage driver, followed by the sound of hooves moving across the cobalt path. There was no turning back now. We were here, and we were staying. Raoul took my arm, and we started ascending the stairs which seemed to continue forever. I felt as though the weight of the world was on my shoulders, and it must have shown for Raoul looked at me with concern.

"Christine, are you alright?"

Despite my nerves, I couldn't help but smile. Truly, I was married to the most wonderful person throughout the entire civilized world.

"Of course dear," I kissed him lightly on the cheek, "I'm fine."

When we reached the top of the stairs, two gentlemen opened the doors for us. Suddenly we were standing looking down on a massive dance floor, where hundreds of happy couples danced with each other, hiding their identities with lavish masks. Raoul suddenly stopped, staring wide eyed at the crowd. This time, it was Raoul who seemed to carry the weight of the world. I knew what he was thinking…all those years ago….

"_Masquerade! Paper faces on parade! Masquerade! Hide your face, so the world will never find you!"_

_The bright and colorful lyrics only added to the absolute splendor of the evening. Laughter mixed with the orchestra's lavish tune, creating a melodious harmony more beautiful than anything ever heard since the dawn of mankind. Everyone's spirits were lifted, and why shouldn't they be? It was the beginning of a New Year, and this one held the promise of no "Opera Ghost". Indeed, it had been some time since the infamous Phantom had made an appearance. My engagement ring from Raoul held from my neck, its constant weight reminding me that I was loved and protected. What a beautiful feature I had before me!_

"_Masquerade! Grinning yellows, spinning reds…Masquerade! Take your fill- let the spectacle astound you!"_

_Suddenly, the lights dimmed, the joyful music stopped, and the laughter immediately subsided, only to be replaced with loud gasps and screams. He was here. The Phantom. My Angel. This time, however, he was no angel. His eyes, which normally contained nothing but love for me, looked horribly cruel and menacing. Although we did not know it at the time, this was the point of no return. This was the one defining event which was about to set the ball in motion. There was no turning back. He began to descend the stairs in slow, confident steps. How fitting that he wore the mask of a skeleton. A piece of everyone was destined to die in the next few weeks. What beautiful promises the New Year seemed to hold only a few minutes ago were transformed into a harsh, ugly reality. We were all pawns of a game…HIS game, and it was not over until someone captured the king. Only this time, the prize was the queen. Me. _

I felt Raoul's arm wrap around me tightly. He had not known that this was going to be a masked ball. If he had, I'm certain we would never have come. He turned around to face me, and I saw concern written all over his handsome features.

"Christine…I had no idea. We can go back now if you would like! I'll call another carriage to come take us home at once."

He began to turn around and head for the exit, when I reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Raoul, that was so long ago. Didn't you always say that the past is behind us? Perhaps this is now the time to prove it to ourselves. If we keep running from everything that reminds us of what happened, we will live in constant fear all our lives. Whenever we say 'the past is behind us', we'll know that it's not true. There will be no comfort, and no refuge. We have to face reality at some point. Why not today? You are here beside me, and I know you will not let anything happen."

Raoul smiled. "When did my little lottie become such a wise and brave woman?" He kissed me gently on the lips. "You're right. Let us enjoy ourselves. You must forgive me, however, if I keep you beside me the entire evening."

I laughed. "The only time you would need forgiving, is if you didn't do just that!"

My spirits lifted, Raoul and I walked onto the ballroom floor. A gentleman handed us masks, and with ease we began to become one with the crowd. My encounter with Erik had been almost completely forgotten. What a sense of security I was able to derive from a mask and my husband's strong arms around my waist! This was happiness. This was the carefree sense of joy that I had felt so long ago. Oh how I had missed it.

My senses in overload from the night's intoxicating joy, I failed to notice the figure dressed in black who slinked behind the shadows, watching my every move.

**This is possibly the worst thing I have ever written! FORGIVE ME. The next chapter will be worth it! I promise you!**


	4. Silence speaks all the words we don't wa...

**A/N: Well here it is! I'm soooo sorry for all of the delays. I just sat down and wrote this chapter because I felt terrible about not updating sooner. I'm sorry for any grammatical and spelling errors you may find. I'll fix them later. As always, please review, and PLEASE READ THE LYRICS THAT I INCLUDED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS CHAPTER. THEY ARE EXTREMELY FITTING AND I AM RATHER PROUD OF MYSELF FOR INCLUDING THEM. **

Dangerous Game

From Jekyll and Hyde

"No one speaks, not one word  
But what words are in our eyes  
Silence speaks, loud and clear  
All the words we both want to hear  
At the touch of your hand  
At the sound of your voice  
At the moment your eyes meet mine  
I am losing my mind, I am losing control  
Fighting feelings I can't define  
It's a sin with no name  
No remorse and no shame  
Fire, fury, and flame  
Cause the devil's to blame  
And the angels proclaim  
It's a dangerous game..."

Christine

As a lady of society, the thought of sweating is almost as horrible as the thought of going into public without a corset. Although I have not, and will never officially become one of the upper class ladies that Raoul expects me to be, I have learned enough in the past few years of living in English aristocracy to know that sweating is definitely NOT acceptable. Tonight, however, was an unspoken acceptation to the rule. Raoul and I had danced 6 complete dances, and by the end I was flushed a fairly deep shade of pink. It's not that I'm unable to participate in such physical activity, but when you are in a crowed ballroom surrounded by hundreds of guests, it gets rather warm. Additionally, my face was covered in a mask and my dress, although skimpy, still added on additional layers of material which held in the heat. After the final strains of the orchestra died down, Raoul and I wandered back to the edge of the room in order to grab a drink. It didn't take him long to notice how my complexion had significantly brightened from the exercise, so naturally he inquired about my wellbeing.

"Christine darling, you look flushed. Are you alright?"

"Of course Raoul. I'm fine. It's just that with all these people dancing with such graceful fervor, I got rather warm. I'm fine now. Do you think we might step outside for a moment?"

"Of course Christine."

We left the elegant swirl of gowns and pressed pants and walked onto the marble balcony which overlooked acres of rolling hills. Directly beneath us was a lovely rose garden, and I saw a few other couples wandering aimlessly among the paths, no doubt trying to achieve some privacy and cool down after the waltzes. I rested my hand upon the balcony railing, allowing the chill marble to gradually cool my body. Raoul put his arms around my waist and whispered in my ear.

"My dear Christine. My lovely Christine. I love you so much."

I smiled. It was not unlike Raoul to say such things, and I typically found myself enjoying them, even taking them for granted at times. Tonight, however, those words seemed like annoying drones in my ear. This feeling was so sudden and unfounded that it shocked me. However, the more and more Raoul told me of his undying love, the more I felt a tightening feeling in my heart, and a deeper annoyance towards him. Suddenly, this unexplainable yet undeniable emotion became too much for me.

"Raoul dear," I said, turning around and flashing him the most sincere smile I could manage, "Why don't you go and get another drink. I am terribly parched after that dance, and would much prefer to stand out here where it is cooler."

Raoul looked at me with a confused look on his face, yet quickly flashed me his most dashing smile and responded with a quick, "Of course dear", before retreating back into the open French doors and into the ballroom. Sighing, I turned around and continued to stare out into the open expanse of garden and land. It was an absolutely beautiful night, and the fresh breeze was doing wonders for cooling, no just my body temperature, but my sudden and unexpected annoyance towards Raoul. What had evoked such a feeling? I did not know. As I continued to stare into the vast expanse of night sky, I began to have an unnerving feeling that I was being watched. Oh my God….Erik. How could I have forgotten! How daft could one person be! The heat of the ballroom was truly doing horrors to my sanity. Spinning around on my heel, I looked behind me. Of course no one was to be found, but yet I knew he was there. Cautiously, once I could trust my voice to speak, I croaked out his name.

"Erik?"

I was answered only by a faint gust of wind which carried the far away sounds of laughing couples and the melodic vibrating of orchestra strings. Suddenly, very softly, almost inaudibly, I heard my name being carried by the very breeze which I had just felt mere seconds ago.

"_Christine…."_

Oh my name was spoken quietly indeed, not louder then the rustle of a flower petal in the wind, yet I heard it all the same. I knew he was here. Erik. My omnipotent angel.

"Angel oh speak! What gentlest longings, echo in this whisper?"

This time, however, I was only greeted with silence as at that moment Raoul appeared with two glasses of champagne. Smiling my most sincere smile, I took the stemmed glass from his hand and brought it to my mouth as steadily as I could. Internally, however, I was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane.

"Raoul, I am feeling much better now and would hate for us to miss the rest of the ball. Why don't we go in and dance the last remaining dances?"

"It would be my pleasure Christine."

Why did it seem as though everything he said was coming from a script? As if someone had painstakingly written out the perfect responses for each and every mundane question ever asked?

When we entered the ballroom, Raoul was immediately tapped on the shoulder by an older looking gentleman. With his mask in place, it took me a few seconds to realize that it was Count DeVangel, one of Raoul's close companions. The Count graciously asked for me to join him in the next dance, and of course, Raoul agreed. Soon, I began to dance with the Count DeVangel, and was interweaving among couples with a grace that I had developed from all my years as a ballerina at the Opera house. Before long, another gentlemen cut in, and I resumed the dance the arms of another. Shortly after, another man cut in, followed by another, and another, and another. All these men danced with the same pace, the same stride, and held me in the same manner at the same arm length. All these men were perfect cardboard cutouts of what society claimed were the standards of the ideal man. Closing my eyes and allowing myself to be swept up in the rhythm of the melodic waltz, I failed to notice we had switched partners yet again. Once I took a further step, however, I automatically opened my eyes. The arms which held me were not the arms of another brainless aristocratic suitor, nor the arms of an elderly gentleman. They were the arms of someone so powerful that electric pulses seemed to radiate from them. The way this new partner danced was not like my other partners. His stride was not one which had been taught to him at a young age by private tutors looking at improving their pupil's dancing ability, but one of natural grace and confidence. He moved with such a natural grace that I could have sworn we were waltzing on water. Slowly, I allowed my eyes to travel up his arms to his face. Even though a mask covered his face, there was no denying the piercing golden orbs which peered from beneath it.

The Phantom

My Angel of Music

My Savior personified all in this one body which was Erik

Erik

Erik

"Erik!"

He didn't respond, but merely stared at me, his eyes carrying with them an unreadable expression. Somehow, for some reason which only the gods know, his silence communicated to me all the unspoken feelings neither of us wished to acknowledge.

We continued the dance in complete silence, and I was only vaguely aware that we were dancing to the rear exit of the ballroom. We didn't speak, and yet my mind was nothing short of a battleground of conflicting and unanswered emotions. I was a married woman! How dare I take pleasure from being in this man's arms! But did I even derive pleasure from such an act? Maybe it was fear. No…it certainly wasn't fear. It was the feeling of….of….of being….alive. That was it. I was alive. I love Raoul, God knows I do. But the love I feel for him is a comforting kind of love. The love you feel when you read a favorite book on the windowsill of a warm, sunny day. The love you feel while drinking your favorite tea after coming in from the cold outdoors. What I felt now while being in Erik's arms was…different. It was like something I had read once a long time ago in Plato's "Allegory of a Cave." Those who saw shadows all their lives believed that the shadows were real, although the shadows were merely shades of reality. When one of the persons emerged from the cave and had his eyes opened, that person immediately realized what he had been missing his entire life. Although he had been perfectly at ease being hoodwinked into settling for the comforts of deceit and misconception, once he realized what the world actually had to offer, he never wanted to return to a life lived in shades. That was the way I felt now. Never again did I wish to deny myself of something which I know knew was vitally important to my wellbeing. I needed this man! God help me, I needed Erik more than I had ever needed anything in my entire life. I looked into his eyes and silently began pleading for something; any sign which would allow me to escape form this infinitesimal silence.

Finally, we stopped dancing and stood in silence. Our dancing had carried us outside, and we allowed ourselves to bask in the moonlight. The night was still gorgeous, yet all the couples who had been wandering the gardens a mere hour before had left. It was if the gods had been planning this reunion, and any soul other than ours would be killed should they stumble upon and interrupt this crucial moment. After what proved to be the most agonizing minutes of my life, he spoke.

"Christine. I didn't think you would actually come."

I had to laugh. Of all the absurd things to say! Of all the things that deserved to be said…that NEEDED to be said…this is how he had begun the conversation. Biting back any witty comments I felt like saying, I responded with a polite, "But of course I came. You couldn't have expected me to miss the most talked about gala in over a week."

Erik smirked. Thankfully my bash on English society had not been missed. "Pray tell. How has the gala been so far?"

Curse this man and his eternal patience! He had me right where he wanted. He knew that I was dying to talk about what had occurred between us earlier today, and he was taking pleasure in watching me squirm and writhe beneath his seeming calm and placid exterior. He could wait for hours before bringing up what needed to be discussed most. Perhaps he was waiting for me to make the first move. Perhaps he was waiting to see if I had enough courage to inquire about his earlier visit. Well, I wouldn't do it! Not because I was a coward, but because I was determined to turn the tables. I was no longer the helpless little teenager he had fallen in love with so many years ago. I had grown wiser and stronger with the passing years, and I was determined that he would see this new side of me before the evening came to an end. "You see Erik", I thought to myself, "I can play these games too. After all, I learned from the expert." My thoughts of flooring him with my womanly wisdom quickly crumbled when I caught him gazing at me quizzically from beneath his mask. "Oh great" I thought to myself. I hadn't answered his question as to how the ball was! Raising my head high, and resolutely looking him in the eye, I responded with a very decisive, "Oh the Masque? It's wonderful. Thank you for inquiring!"

Ha! That did it. I'm sure he was so convinced that my taking an eternity to answer his question showed that I was still under his spell. He probably thought I had forgotten the question because I was so wrapped up in my own childish nerves. Oh but he was wrong. I needed Erik. I knew that now. But for all my pride I would not let him know it. Kill me if it must, Erik would never know of my rediscovered dependence on him. Too long I had needed my angel. As an adult now, it is time that my dreams of angels came to an end. There was only the here and now, and a future which promised a life without Heavenly beings.

"How have you been Erik? What have you been doing all these years?"

Erik threw me a disbelieving glance. "I've been fine of course. Completely happy. I wake up every morning with the sun shining on my face and the birds singing in the trees. I have so many companions, I can't even keep their names straight! Oh we have such wonderful times together, sipping tea and discussing the latest English fashion. Gah! Christine, how do you think I've been doing? I'm in turmoil. I never thought I'd say this, and I never thought I would come back to you. But I can't help it! I need you Christine. I've come to ask you to just come back to me. I thought that maybe…"

"And just what did you think? That I would come crawling back to you? That after I saw you today in my bedroom I would rush into your arms tonight and beg you to take me away? You are no angel Erik, and I am no child! We needed each other all those years ago, yes. You needed me to bring your songs to the stage, and I needed you as a supplemental father figure. But you know what Erik? My use for men masquerading around as angels is gone. I don't need you anymore! And God so help me, I never loved you! I think you of all people could understand that!" It was a lie…all of it was a lie. I did love him and I needed him more than I could possibly say. But he pushed me away that night! I tried to give him my heart but all of his lofty protestations drove me away!

The look on his eyes made me wish for nothing more than to craw up in a ball and bury myself alive under all the lies and hurtful words I had said to him. I crushed this man. I crushed him once, and I did it again. Why? What had driven me to do this!

"Very well Christine. I'm sorry I ever came back. Forgive me of any inconvenience I may have caused you and your fairy tale marriage to the Vicomte. I was wrong of course…wrong to have ever seen anything in you. I believed you to be an angel Christine, but it was a lie. You hid behind a façade of innocence and beauty, but you are nothing but one of them. You are just like the rest of mankind. You are cruel Christine. Ignorant, cruel, and unfeeling." Erik laughed a cruel disbelieving laugh. "Come to think of it, I don't know what I ever saw in you! Wait, I do. You were the beacon of light in my dark world Christine. I thought that such a light could only come from heaven. But was I ever wrong! I forgot that such a light could be emitted from the very fires of hell too! Goodbye Christine, and God help you if our paths ever cross again."

With that he left. He just turned around and vanished. My heart was breaking. I had tried to be strong. Strong and unyielding as he. I had tried to show him that I didn't need him. I suppose I was a far better actress than I had given myself credit for. He was gone now. Forever gone from my life, and I had done nothing that would have warranted otherwise. This is what I had wanted wasn't it? A life forever free of my dark angel. I saw Raoul walk through the doors and gaze around the garden for a few moments before his eyes settled on me. He came up behind me and put his arm around my shoulder.

"There you are little lottie. I was wondering where you had gone off to! Come! Let's visit the Lady Elizabeth before we go home for the evening! And the Count McBechn with his lovely Countess! Oh silly me, we couldn't forget the Duchess Mary and….."

Oh God in heaven…save me from the error in my ways!

**FIN**

**A/N: Just kidding. I could end it there, but I don't know if I should. Let me know! I took some creative liberties with Plato's "Allegory of a Cave." I know that what I the comparison I made hadn't been completely accurate to Plato's true meaning. HOWEVER, I am the author and therefore feel as though I have a right to bend a tweak the story at will, even if that means tweaking a fundamental piece of literature which has been impacting lives for the past two millennia. Tell me what you think! I can't improve without your input. As always, grammatical errors will be fixed later. **


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